REDLANDS – With prom, grad night and graduation around the corner, students are getting excited and most are buying graduation cap and gowns or shopping for that perfect dress or tuxedo.

Not all high school students are afforded this opportunity and that is where founder and president Pat Williams and her volunteers at Angels’ Closet Charities step in.

Angels’ Closet, started by Williams in her living room, is located at Redlands East Valley High School, 31000 E. Colton Ave.

With the support of the community and at no cost to the students, Angels’ Closet provides less fortunate high school students with everyday school clothing, formal attire for school social events, and business attire for job-seeking opportunities.

Sara Thompson, secretary of Angels’ Closet, said even through the group is based at the REV campus, it serves Redlands, San Bernardino, Yucaipa and Banning high schools and students come as far as Colton and Fontana.

“If you can get to us, we are happy to help you,” Thompson said. “If you come to us and ask for help and we believe you have the need, we will help you. If we get a direct call, meaning not from a school counselor or social worker, we will ask the students to go back through their counselor because the counselor might not know of their situation.”

Thompson said students can come in by appointment and try on whatever they need.

If a student comes in looking for a prom dress or other formal attire, they can also have accessories such as earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

“I want to emphasize the fact that if you see a student dressed a little bit differently or they see needs help, rather than making fun of them, offer to help,” said Williams. “That is another message that we are trying to get out. Let’s help each other because times are tough.

“Some of the families that never dreamed they would have a difficulty are having a difficulty now.

Those with Angels’ Closet believe believe they are promoting a more positive high school experience for all students. They work hand in hand with high school administrators, counselors, teachers and campus staff to identify and help students in need.

“We are always in need of formal attire,” said Williams. “If you look around, it looks like we have a lot but we really don’t. We like to offer a nice selection because not everyone likes the same thing.

“We always are in need of men’s clothing including tuxedos. We rarely get those donated.”

Williams said everything is donated to the students except tuxedos. Students are asked to give a small deposit, which the student gets back when the tuxedo, cleaned professionally, is returned.

“This is just to ensure that we get the tuxedo back and we get it back in the condition they received it in,” Williams said. “What we have also found is that very few men have dress shoes – they are lucky to have a pair of school shoes. So with our fundraising this gives us the funds to buy new shoes. We always try to present a young man with a new pair of dress shoes.”

Williams said that anything the student walks out the door with is theirs to keep with the exception of the tuxedoes. Angels’ Closet tries to put together the complete outfit for the students.

“If it wasn’t for the generosity of the community and some local businesses, we could not do this,” Williams said.

According to Williams, one of the group’s biggest requests and needs right now is help with prom and grad night tickets.

“We are hoping we can get sponsors to sponsor a young person with a prom ticket and grad night tickets,” Williams said. “The only person that we would help with a prom ticket would be a graduating senior. But we can’t because all of the money we raised during fundraising or donations has gone toward shoes, socks, underwear, certain sizes of clothing that we are short on or yearbooks, caps and gowns, and that is about the max that we can do right now.

“We hope that people will contact us and help some of these students go to prom or grad night.”

To donate clean and gently used or new clothing, both formal and casual, including socks, shoes, purses, costume jewelry and other accessories, or to sponsor a high school student for prom or grad night or to make a cash donation or to donate your time, contact Williams at 909-794-7967 or angelscloset08@aol.com. Monetary donations can be mailed to Angels’ Closet Charities, P.O. Box 648, Mentone, CA 92359. suze.knobler@inlandnewspapers.com 909-793-3221